Feature
One of the first things Ian did on his return was to get the playing surfaces back up to standard by re-establishing a robust seed and fertilising programme. The demand for quality surfaces in the Championship League is high, which is why he says he trusts Rigby Taylor products and appreciates regular visits from his Technical Area Manager Andy Merry.
“Andy and I have put together a stadium and a training ground programme, which both fit within our agreed budget and are continually reviewed and adapted where necessary,” he says.
According to Ian, the stadium pitch’s programme includes R140 seed and a mixture of PolyPro controlled-release fertilisers alongside specific products from the Apex Organic range for the stadium’s SIS hybrid playing surface. This is topped up with pre-mixed, liquid fertilisers – Nutri-Link Base, which promotes sward density, wear resistance and disease tolerance, plus Rapid Response and SeaQuest for exceptional pre-match presentation. However, the biggest benefit, Ian says, is that it ensures “excellent playability and recovery after each game”.
Ian’s team also use R140 seed and the same fertiliser programme for the first team and U23 training pitches, after being Koroed by Talbott Sport Turf contractors. Sports Field Renovation is used on the academy pitches, after a heavy scarification, plus a reduced version of the fertiliser programme. Regarding his choice to ryegrass blend, Ian says: “I’m a big fan of the Tetraploid and Diploid mix after using Sports Field Renovation on a shady part of the stadium pitch and was impressed at how well it stood up to and recovered from a hammering by both Wigan AFC and Warriors during the winter months.”
Ian also relies on Origin Amenity Solutions for the club’s goalposts and line marking equipment. He uses the iGo Advance at the training ground but prefers the sharper lines created by the iGO Premier line marker at the stadium – using Impact Sport line marking paint in both models. He adds, “We were so impressed with the iGo that it’s the only line marker we use on the training ground pitches, and the Impact paint provides excellent white lines”
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The DW Stadium, Wigan
He is also planning to promote biodiversity at the training ground by sowing Origin Amenity Solutions Euroflor wildflower seed mixes to attract bees and other pollinators. “We’re looking at introducing the Super Blue Bee wildflower mix on the banks of newly constructed areas around the pitches, which will reflect the team’s colours. It’s maintenance free and will add to the landscape aesthetics,” he says. “As long as we keep them well away from ball activity.”
Regarding his team’s recent international duty, Ian says the Belgium side did not cause any damage to the pitch. However, when they moved off, the club’s U18s moved on, so it didn’t get much time to rest.
Ian Forshaw and the Belgium football team manager Roberto Martinez
He’s pleased that his choice in seed and fertiliser allowed fast recovery and the stadium pitch also did well during recent Wigan AFC and Warriors’ pre-season activity.
iGo Advance line marker with Impact Sport paint provides excellent white lines on all pitches
“The additional use and a shortage of irrigation equipment during the summer’s hot spell gave the grounds team some challenges, but we manged to keep the grass green and are confident that we’ll continue our winning streak all season,” he says.
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